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Summer Day

National Holiday in Albania

When is Summer Day?

Dates of Summer Day

Summer Day (Albanian: Dita e Veres) is an annual public holiday in Albania and is always held on 14 March.

The holiday marks the rebirth of nature following the end of winter.

History of Summer Day

Summer Day is a pagan festival whose observation and traditions originated in the region around Elbasan, in central Albania. On the outskirts of the city, a shrine was built to Zana, the goddess of hunting, forests and nature. The tradition was that Zana would come out of the shrine after her winter hibernation on 14 March.

At the time when the traditions of Summer Day became established, March was the first month of the year. In Romania and some other countries in Eastern Europe, the first day of Spring is celebrated on 1 March. In the sixteenth century, the adoption of the Gregorian calendar added 13 days, moving Summer Day away from 1 March.